Georgia Legislators Approve New Congressional District Map

ATLANTA — The Georgia Legislature on Thursday gave its approval to a new congressional district map that adds a Black majority district west of Atlanta but appears to dilute the district currently represented by Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath.

The adoption of the map came just a day ahead of a Dec. 8 deadline set by U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones, who earlier this year tossed out the Legislature’s prior map on the grounds that it violated the Voting Rights Act.

Based on voter registration records, the latest version of the map appears to maintain Georgia’s existing mix of nine Republican-leaning districts and five Democratic-leaning districts.

Republicans in the Legislature, including state House Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee Chairman Rob Leverett, said Thursday that they believe they’ve fulfilled the mandates of the judge’s order.

However, Democrats in the chamber disagreed.

“They’re still looking for power and not progress in the state of Georgia,” House Minority Leader James Beverly, told The Associated Press.

Jones’ sweeping 516-page ruling, handed down in October, actually found all of Georgia’s political district maps in violation of federal law because they diluted Black voting power.

He directed lawmakers, who were hastily called back into special session by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, to create Black majorities in one additional congressional district, two additional state Senate districts and five additional state House districts. 

The new state Senate map approved by the Legislature would likely continue Republicans’ existing 33-23 majority in that chamber, while the new state House map would trim its majority — which currently stands at 102-78 — by at most two seats.

The new congressional map, which the state Senate passed last week by a vote of 33-22, also had to fulfill a mandate by Jones that legislators create a new congressional district on metro Atlanta’s west side.

The map, which the state House passed by a 98-71 vote on Thursday, does indeed have such a district, encompassing parts of Fulton, Douglas, Cobb and Fayette counties.

But rather than carving up an existing Republican district, it shifts portions of McBath’s current district — extending it from Atlanta’s northern suburbs and into the state’s northern mountains — making it both more White and more GOP-friendly.

Democrats in the state say this is the second time in two years that Republicans have targeted McBath, a Black gun control advocate, who won election in 2018 in a majority White district that was once represented by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

In 2021, Republican lawmakers revised the district lines to increase the advantage of GOP candidates running against McBath, but, in the process, also made another district more Democratic. McBath switched districts and ran in the more favorable one, beating Democratic incumbent Carolyn Bordeaux in a 2022 primary.

McBath ultimately won the seat with 61% of the vote.

Democratic lawmakers in Georgia said this week that they believe the new map continues to violate Jones’ order, which specifically said, “The state cannot remedy the Section 2 violations described herein by eliminating minority opportunity districts elsewhere in the plan.”

Regardless, the redistricting plan is now headed to Kemp’s desk for his signature.

McBath told reporters she was not surprised by the Legislature’s apparent effort to try and redistrict her out of Congress.

“I’ve always been a political target, nothing’s changed there,” she said.

She went on to say that for now, she’ll wait to see what Jones has to say about the map, and that she fully intends to continue her current reelection bid.

Jones has ordered the parties to file any objections to the new maps next week before a hearing on Dec. 20.

“No matter what, I’m coming back,” McBath said.

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